RESCUE!

RESCUE!

All of us dream of dramatic rescue–a handsome prince on a white horse sweeping in to take us away from the drudgery of our mundane lives. Just like Cinderella and Snow White … sigh.

When I was five or six years old, I wandered into a friend’s back yard and let myself into her charming playhouse. I entertained myself for a bit, and then decided to go home. But when I tried to get out, the door was jammed. I panicked. I started screaming and broke a window trying to escape the playhouse turned prison. Mark, the telephone man, heard my screams and rescued me. We lived in a very small town, and everyone knew each other. I don’t really know how handsome he really was, but to me he was the biggest, strongest, most handsome fellow I’d ever seen. He got that door open and carried me home in his strong arms. He didn’t come to sit down and play tea with me. He came to my rescue.

Christmas has come and gone once again in a flurry of parties, gift giving, and family togetherness. Children are playing with new toys; men are watching football; women are tired. I come to the completion of the Christmas holiday every year and ask the same question, “Where was Jesus in all of this?” But this year all the glitz and bling surrounding the season has bothered me more than ever. Jesus and the manger scene are simply appendages to Santa Claus, gift buying, parties, and family gatherings. He came as a baby, but he didn’t stay a baby. We have relegated him to a hay-filled trough once a year, only to be put away until next Christmas season when we’ll unpack him, dust him off, and put him on display. But Jesus didn’t come to entertain us. He came to rescue us.

We attended a kindergarten program with precious darling children singing probably about a dozen songs. They had been well trained and were dressed appropriately in red and green, but not one song about Jesus. My husband is a Christmas movie addict. He loves the “happily ever after” endings. For two months we’ve watched them one after another. Not a one contained the Gospel message. It’s like Jesus is an afterthought of the Christmas holidays.

I love the game of Santa Claus and being with family. I love the beauty of Christmas trees and the gifts piled high underneath the tree. I love the beautiful musical productions and pageantry. But shouldn’t our holiday celebrations be more than that?

Our God is a God of Rescue. He came to rescue us from the evil that claws at us. This is a season which proclaims the Good News of the rescue of mankind from the power of evil. Why have we buried it underneath a sea of red and green and an army of Santa Clauses? Why can we not even wish someone a “Merry Christmas” without concern of offending them?

Jesus stands ready to move into the New Year with us–with power, not as the helpless, impotent baby in the manger, but as the One who came to rescue us. What do you need Jesus to rescue you from? Financial stress? Marital issues? Children in trouble? Maybe you’ve never allowed Him to rescue you from your sin, the reason for which He came. He wants to rescue you if you’ll let Him. Let Him lift you up in his strong arms and take you to a safe place. Will you continue to try to manage your life on your own, panicking every time you feel hemmed in, not able to figure a way to escape? Why not start the New Year safe in the arms of Jesus? He’s a much better rescuer than a knight in shining armor on a white horse or even my personal telephone man  rescuer. He’s the rescuer of our souls. Oh, and by the way, one of these days, He will come to the rescue riding on a white horse. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

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